June 16, 2025 • 30 mins
The conversation continues with a challenging question: How do we love those claiming Christianity while living lifestyles contradicting biblical teachings? Pastor Tate responds with grace-filled wisdom: "Sanctification is a process. I believe there are people who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ who are still jacked up in their sin." This perspective sets the stage for a remarkable story of unconventional ministry.
This powerful episode challenges listeners to step beyond comfortable ministry approaches and meet people exactly where they are—with unwavering biblical truth wrapped in authentic relationship. You'll be inspired to see evangelism not as a religious obligation but as "one beggar telling another beggar where he found food."
Whether you're questioning your faith, feeling stuck in ministry, or simply seeking inspiration, this conversation provides both practical wisdom and spiritual encouragement for connecting with others in meaningful ways. Ready to transform how you share your faith? This episode is your starting point.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jess (00:03):
Hey, welcome back, or welcome to the Jesus Fix it
podcast, the show where we talkabout life, the ups, the downs,
a little pop culture andeverything in between.
I'm Jess and I'm Steph.
Steph (00:15):
Every other week we dive into the things we're asking
Jesus to fix.
And let's be real, there's alot.
You can always count on us tokeep it real.
Jess (00:24):
Share some laughs with us and maybe a few tears as we
tackle the big and small stuffwith faith and honesty.
So grab your coffee and let'sget into it.
Hey friends, welcome back toanother episode of the Jesus Fix
it podcast.
We so appreciate you being here.
Steph (00:39):
Along with our guest, Pastor John G Tate, our
conversation continuing fromlast week.
A few years ago, when I gotmarried, I was looking for a
photographer that fit in my tinybudget.
Found a guy who I really lovedhis style and met with him and
I'm like, oh, this guy is greatand my husband and I knew when
(00:59):
we wanted to get married.
It was important for us that wegot married in a church.
It was just one of my littlegirl dreams that you walk down
the aisle yes exactly exactly.
But also, once I met with thisguy and knew he was going to be
our photographer, I was thinkinghe is living an actively open
homosexual lifestyle and here isan opportunity for him to get
(01:21):
to hear the gospel when, as thebride, how am I really going to
have a chance to minister to him?
Come to find out.
Then he, you know, we startedfollowing each other on social
media.
Fast forward a bit and he'slike yes, this scripture and I'm
this believer and I followJesus in this way and all this
stuff and I live with my partnerand all these things, and now I
(01:43):
am struggling Again.
Everybody's got their sin andsins look different.
But how do you love on somebodytrying to share this light when
they're like, oh, I know thatlight, I've got that light?
Pastor Jonge (01:57):
Yeah.
So from the outside, looking in, I would say the world is
trying to customize Christ, andyou don't customize Christ.
He is the almighty and this iswhere the scripture stands for
itself that you have to go.
(02:18):
Okay, you can't cherry pickscripture to fit what you want
it to say so it can appease yoursinful choices.
You can't do that.
You have to stand on theholistic picture of God.
The book is I mean, it's alibrary of books.
There's 66 books in there andthey all proclaim the glory of
(02:38):
God.
The beauty of it is we've gotbefore us a book that is, I mean
, its earliest writings to itslatest writings are there's like
some 1600 years time period,from multiple different
languages, multiple differentcontinents, from people who were
(02:59):
inspired by God to pen thescriptures, from all different
walks of life, differentcontinents, different countries,
and yet there's one God.
There's this one theme of theglory of God.
Through it all, there's thisone hope of the redemption of
man through one hero, that'sJesus Christ.
(03:21):
He is the way to truth and life.
And there's one villain punkSatan.
He's there through the wholething, and the overwhelming
thing is the redemption of man.
So we have all of thisinformation about the scriptures
.
We know without a doubt of itshistorical accuracy because of
(03:45):
archeological standpoints.
We know of the prophecies thathave come true, the foretellings
from the Old Testament, and howJesus fulfilled every single
one.
It's nuts, you can't make thisstuff up.
And so, because of this, weknow the truth of the Word of
God and therefore we stand on it.
We all were on a journey.
You know you get saved.
(04:05):
You know the students atChristian camp I was a student
pastor for 14 years.
Love me, some teenagers and youknow it's like okay, yes, I
want Jesus, but don't take mymusic.
Oh, okay, hold up.
You know well, I just like thebeat.
I'm not really into the lyrics.
Jess (04:23):
I've said that before.
Okay, didn't we all Were you mypastor, that's right.
Pastor Jonge (04:30):
And in that moment , what did I do?
Did I go?
Okay, you heathen, you filthy,dirty, rotten sinner, you know
you're doing it because of no,you know, even on my own journey
, there was a journey of mybecoming more like Christ, and
it took me a while to embracethe message of Philippians 4.8,
that, finally, brothers,whatever's true, whatever's
noble, whatever's excellent orpraiseworthy, admirable, think
(04:54):
about such things.
And even though my parentstalked about garbage in, garbage
out, and all these things yougot to protect your eyes and
make a covenant with your eyesnot to look lustfully
upon a girl Job 31.1, all thesethings.
And you got to protect youreyes and make a covenant with
your eyes not to look lustfullyupon a girl Job 31.1, all these
things.
Sanctification is a process,and I believe that there are
people who are genuine followersof Jesus Christ who are still
(05:15):
jacked up in their sin.
And what sin?
You name it.
You name it, and the truth ofthe gospel is going to work its
way in and begin cleaning.
Now.
I believe with all my heartthat the truth that when we
surrender our lives to JesusChrist, confess with our mouth
that Jesus is Lord, believe inour heart that God raised Jesus
(05:37):
from the dead.
The Bible says we're saved themessage of Romans.
You know through so much of itthat the Holy Spirit gets
deposited into our life.
The Holy Spirit doesn't comeinto your life and you remain
the same.
If so, you need to double-checkyour salvation.
You need to double-check what'shappened to you.
And so when I see somebodywho's still actively pursuing,
(05:59):
let's say, a homosexualrelationship, who says, yes, I'm
saved, I go okay, well, theHoly Spirit is all over you and
I want to be part of thatprocess, with a smile, with a
loving embrace, to come meet youwhere you are, but also to be
bold enough to go.
I'm not ashamed of the gospel,it is the power, and I want to
(06:22):
just be that voice in your lifethat continues to love you where
you are.
But also stand on the truth ofwhat he said, because I was
there as well, pursuing my ownflesh and lusts, and by his
grace, we're victorious throughhim.
Jess (06:42):
And also we need to remember that some of us, uh all
to be thankful, that well, notthankful, but we sin, but some
of our sins we just don't, we'renot able to see it.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Yeah, because yeah, not noteverybody's it doesn't look the
(07:03):
same.
Steph (07:03):
No, it doesn't.
Jess (07:05):
Oh, my goodness, this whole conversation makes me
really, really miss my grandma,because she used to always.
One thing she used to say to usis every single Sunday after
service, she used to tell uskids OK, find one person this
week that looks different thanyou or thinks different than you
(07:28):
and be kind to them.
Every week she used to tell usto do that.
No, I'm going to be honest, wedidn't always listen, but she
used to tell us that and as Iget older, I really grasp that.
(07:50):
The older I get and the way theworld is now and different
people and the diversity now Ireally really grasp that and it
just really really makes me seethe world through her eyes.
Pastor Jonge (07:58):
Yeah, beautiful people like that.
There's a story that's comingto mind of a, uh, of a gentleman
from our community and, uh, hiswife comes to christ through a
small group in our church.
Um, specifically andintentionally, this, this, these
life group leaders for us said,okay, god, here we are, send us
and here's what we do.
(08:19):
They were, they were horse,people loved horses and they're
like okay, how do we use horsesfor the gospel, what do we do?
And they thought well, we've,how do we?
Jess (08:24):
use horses for the gospel.
What do we do?
Pastor Jonge (08:25):
And they thought well, we've got a barn.
We've got a barn that's got anempty stall.
What if we cleaned it out andran an ad for somebody who
perhaps might not have the fundsor the means or the land, but
would love horses?
And sure enough, somebodyresponded to that shows up
non-believer.
And they just start building arelationship with him.
(08:46):
One thing led to another, andthen one time they're there in
the barn and the woman says tothe woman who was renting the
stall with her horse hey, can Ipray for you?
And she goes what she goes.
Yeah, yeah, my husband and Iwe're believers.
Jesus has radically changed ourlives and, man, we're just
honored that you would bringyour horse to our barn and we'd
love to pray for you.
And that's how the conversationstarted.
(09:07):
And then the next thing, youknow it was like hey, can I come
on such and such a night?
She goes well, we have groupthat meets at our house on such
and such a night, so there'sgoing to be a lot of cars in the
driveway.
And she goes, in fact, you'd bewelcome to come.
And she's like what do you dothere?
Well, we all attend thisspecific church in our community
and the pastors.
They preach messages from God'sWord and we get in our living
(09:29):
room and we talk about what theysaid.
The gap between information onSunday mornings and application
to our lives is sometimes wherewe call group.
Step in and get in that groupand tease it out.
How do you do that?
What does this look like inyour life?
And so that's how they began.
She gives her life to Christ,says hey, I want to publicly
profess my faith in Jesus Christ.
She gets baptized in her churchand so we just you know this
(09:52):
ongoing relationship with hercome to find out she's married,
husband's in the community andhe's a really, really vulgar and
vile man.
And she, on so many levels,felt like I'm done, I can't do
this anymore.
Invitations on Sunday morningchurch she'd come down the aisle
and be crying I'm done, I can'tdo this anymore, john G, I
(10:14):
can't do this anymore.
And I'm like all right, are youbeing abused?
Are you physically being beaten?
She's like, no, no, no, it'snothing like that, it's just,
this is just awful.
And I'm like all right, let'spray, let's pray, let's pray.
And so this went on for a while.
The group is loving on her,serving her I'm talking taking
things to her house meals,things like this, meeting family
(10:40):
members, all this kind of stuff.
And so one Sunday she comesforward and it was like the Holy
Spirit said go have aconversation with her husband.
Like and it was like the HolySpirit said go have a
conversation with her husband,like don't be that guy who's
willing to get on stage with amicrophone and turn the lights
on, but not get out there on thestreet and meet people where
they are.
And so she comes forwardtalking and I see her, and so I
just said hey.
I said would it be all right ifI came by your house?
She goes what I said?
(11:03):
Yeah, I said I would love tocome by your house and have a
conversation with your husband.
What are you going to say?
I'm like yeah, I don't know.
Valid question.
I just believe that the HolySpirit is inside of me and you
and I think he's powerful enoughto lead us and guide this
conversation, so let's step intoit.
(11:24):
The Bible says with him, wehave everything we need Now.
Am I think he's powerful enoughto lead us and guide this
conversation, so let's step intoit.
The Bible says, with him, wehave everything we need Now.
Am I scared to death?
Oh Lord, yes, right, but we'regoing, so sure enough.
I show up to the house, I'mwalking up to the doorstep and,
man, I'm hearing language.
They were in the middle of afight.
And I'm like, okay, lord, thisis what I heard in my heart.
This is going to be thestrangest thing you've probably
(11:46):
ever heard.
I heard the word muffler.
Okay.
Now, what I know about thisgentleman is he works at Advance
Auto.
He is Mr Advance Auto in ourcommunity and my son and I had
recently had a conversationabout how my truck needed to be
more manly, it needed to have agrowl to it, and you know I'm a
Bedford boy, so through andthrough it's got a bloody deer
(12:10):
in the back of it most of thetime.
Jess (12:11):
Oh my goodness.
Pastor Jonge (12:14):
So that tells you a lot about who I am.
But my son, he was making funof me, you know.
So this was in the past.
And I step up to this man'sdoorstep and I think about the
word muffler and I'm like, okay,god, what do you want to do
with that?
This was a quick dialoguebetween me and the Holy Spirit,
in a sense.
You know, door opens up andit's her.
She's looking at me with thislook on her face, like see, look
, what you're walking into.
(12:34):
I step into the house, I'm like, hey, I what the?
You know.
He says a couple of words, whatyou doing here, because that's
his language, that's how hetalks, that's the only way he
knows.
And I said man, I came by tosee you, he goes, you came by to
see me.
I said, yeah, my son thinks mytruck sounds wimpy and it needs
(12:54):
to be more manly and I want toknow if you can help me.
Wow.
He goes what I?
I said maybe I need a littlegrowl on my tailpipe, it needs
to growl a little bit.
And he goes.
Oh, you came to the right guythis is what I do and I'm like,
all right now I don't want toget crazy loud, and so we
exchanged phone numbers.
He's now got my cell phone,I've got his.
(13:16):
I leave the house.
I'm leaving his house and he'sblowing me up.
Hey, listen to this, listen meup.
Hey, listen to this, listen tothis, listen to this.
He sends me like three YouTubevideos of muffler sounds
anything from this soft littleto this mighty growl of like a
Kodiak Grizzly or something.
(13:37):
So I choose one, and $209 iswhat I had to pay him to go buy
me a muffler.
And next thing, I know he and Ihave an appointment in his
backyard to put a muffler on mytruck.
Now he's, he has one arm.
The other arm is gone.
He's got a little a little limbwhat I said earlier there's a
(13:58):
story behind the story.
Jess (13:59):
I don't know that story.
Pastor Jonge (14:00):
I don't know if he was born this way or if
something happened.
I know that his language is alot different than mine and he's
not ashamed.
He knows who I am.
He knows I'm his wife's pastorand yet he just continues to
talk the way he talks becausethat's all he knows.
Lost people are the way theyare because they're lost and
(14:22):
they need Jesus.
And so I pull up to his house atthe date it's like nine o'clock
in the morning pull up to theback and he's motioning me to
come on into the garage which islike this structure kind of
thing upon it.
I mean it's like structuresupon structures.
I mean this guy has been doingthis for years and it's kind of
(14:43):
this open bay shelter.
I pull my truck in, I get out,he meets me, I shake hands, I'm
like what's up, dude, excited tobe here, you're going to hook
me up.
And I immediately turn to myleft and on the wall is what I
would call a Playboy centerfoldand I go whoa.
And I look down and down and hegoes what you don't like.
(15:08):
And he named her name and and Isaid, uh well, my flesh would
love to take a look and lingerbecause I'm a real man and then
I held up my left hand and Isaid but there's a golden band
right here.
You know old Randy Travis song.
There's a golden band over herethat represents a covenant that
(15:34):
I have with a woman and shewouldn't understand.
And, more importantly, man,I've been rescued and saved and
so I can't dive into that.
And he just looked at me and hegoes all right, well, how about
you back out and we'll do it inthe yard then?
Wow.
Like oh, you know what Irespect, that Like here, I'm
(15:54):
here, I'm in the middle of yourworld.
I came here and I didn't have tocall out his sin.
I didn't have to point anythingto him, I was just me, and when
I looked at it it just socaught me off guard.
It scared me.
The Bible says we're to abhorthat which is evil, but let love
(16:16):
be genuine, and because of mygenuine love for you, I'm here.
But yet, in the midst of this,bro, bro, I gotta abhor what is
evil and I gotta turn away andand that came from years of
discipline, of of not looking.
So anyway, we back up in thedriveway, we get up under my
vehicle and a one-armed man cuts.
You know, he's got stuff in histeeth, he's got stuff in one
(16:39):
hand, he's got his feet up undermy.
I mean, I was like on what ishappening.
I don't even know that my truckis going to run when I leave
here Like I'm like Jesus.
What are we doing?
You know?
Literally get her done.
And.
I'm telling you, it was astraight up get her done moment
and every now and then, you know, he dropped some words and he'd
go sorry preacher, sorrypreacher didn't mean to talk.
(17:00):
And I'm like like you ain'tgotta say sorry to me.
You know you don't have to saysorry to me, that's all I would
say.
And, um, it was so muchconversation and and things that
happened, but there he and Iwere up underneath my truck.
We had to leave, we had to goget parts from another you know
store and all this kind of stuff.
I mean, it was several hours.
We finish, it's done soundsbeautiful.
(17:22):
I got a little rumble on mySilverado at the time and he
looks at me and he says well, Iguess you'd like to have a
conversation.
And I said what we've beendoing all morning.
He goes I probably believe youwant to have a different kind.
He goes come on into my office.
So I'm like your office,where's your office?
So we walk back through some ofhis buildings and we end up in
(17:46):
this little closet shack andthere's two truck seats sitting
on the floor and there's greaseeverywhere.
There's oil cans, there's gascans, automotive parts all over
the wall.
And we sit down in these seatsand he goes.
All right, what you got, I said,scott, all I have is the gospel
(18:10):
of jesus christ.
Man, I've been changed man.
You.
You got a lot going on in yourworld and I want you to know
that god loves you and he has aplan for your life.
So he just was like oh man, goddon't want me.
You don't understand.
God don't want me.
I said, I said, bet I, goddon't want me.
I said, I said bet.
I said let me tell you somethingI said you ever murdered
anybody?
He goes no.
And in my mind I was rollingthrough David and Bathsheba and
(18:32):
the story of lust and greed andcovetousness and all this stuff
and the murder, everythingthat's involved in the story.
And I'm like and I just kind ofunfold a little bit of it
before him and he's like, wow,what?
And I'm like yeah.
So I said, scott, if I asked youwhat the gospel of Jesus Christ
is, do you know what that is?
He goes not really.
I said, would you mind readingfor me?
(18:52):
Romans 10, 17 says faith comesand it comes by hearing the word
of Christ.
And in this moment, myencouragement from Romans 10, 17
is do everything you can to getout of the way and get the
truth of the gospel to them.
And so I pulled out my phone.
I mean, has it ever been easierfor us today to have all kinds
(19:15):
of apps and scripture rightthere.
I said, man, would you mindreading for me out loud this?
And I literally walked himthrough Romans, you know.
The Romans wrote Romans 3, 23,.
For all have sinned and fallshort of the glory of God.
And I paused.
I said what's that mean?
He goes, everybody got sin.
I said, that's exactly right.
Gave him a fist bump, you know.
And I said, all right, whatabout this one right here?
(19:35):
Romans 6.23, for the wages ofsin is death, but the gift, the
free gift of God, is eternallife in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
And so we walked through that.
Romans 5, 8,.
But while we were still sinners, christ died for us and just
walked him through all of thesescriptures.
(19:55):
Romans 10, 13,.
For everyone who calls on thename of the Lord will be saved.
I said, scott, right now, whatare you, you know?
And he goes man, I'm not ready.
Not ready, he goes.
I know what this says and Iknow what you're saying and I
believe that you believe this.
I'm just not ready.
In this moment, I'm likeeverything within me wants to
reach in and grab him from thechains that are surrounding his
(20:17):
life, and just the anger he toldme about trying to commit
suicide, which is how he losthis arm, and just everything
that had been involved in hislife and I go, okay, well, no
wonder.
If all of that had happened tome, I'd probably be really angry
and mean and running to so manythings to numb the pain, which
(20:38):
is what he had spent his lifedoing.
And yet here comes some bald,smiley guy who's willing to get
in his shop and stand on theword of God and not compromise
the way I live, to come to himand he just said, man, I'm not
ready.
And I said, all right, wouldyou pray?
Would you pray for God toreveal his love to you?
(21:01):
He goes.
I think I could do that.
He looks at me and he goes outloud.
I'm like yeah.
I said yeah, just like you andme.
So he prays, such sincere, youknow, and he literally says in
his prayer God, I'm lost, Idon't know, could you find me?
And then I pray for him throughtears.
(21:22):
You know what I mean.
It was a snot.
It was a snot, tear cry, youknow.
And I leave, I send a textmessage to our team.
I said, hey, guys, thanks forpraying.
You know, blah, blah, blah.
And we just kind of had alittle dialogue.
That continued.
I want to say, about four monthslater we had another situation
where we were actually comes andsays man, I know we need to be
(21:42):
there, he's not coming, there'sno way he's coming.
And so I said, all right, can Icome back to the house?
And she goes oh, dear Jaji, allright.
So I show up once again.
There's a lot of chatter goingon on the other side of the wall
.
She looks at me again and Istep into the living room.
He's putting on a shoe and hewalks over towards me.
(22:03):
I said hey, I said we're goingon a marriage retreat and I just
believe that God wants youthere.
I want you there, my wife and Iwould love to have some meals
with you at this marriageretreat.
The look on his face looked likehe was just kind of angry at me
and he walks across the roomand I'm telling you, as God is
my witness, I thought he wasgonna hit me and he swings that
(22:32):
one arm up right almost to mynose with his hand and
everything with him.
He was like take it, take itfor the team, and uh, and yet he
didn't.
He reached up and he just heldhis hand right at my face and
and it was a moment of pause andI just he said I I'll come.
And he was reaching out hishand for me to shake, like you
and I are making a commitmentnow.
And I shook his hand, gave hima hug and I said all right, I'll
(22:53):
see you Friday.
And they came up to the peaks ofOtter, they came and he sat
kind of marinating and all ofthese couples he shows up.
He's like I don't belong here.
I don't belong here.
They showed up late.
I said, yes, you do.
I said let me tell yousomething.
Inside that room right now arepeople who are struggling with
all kinds of things.
I can't tell you who they arebecause I want to be
confidential.
(23:13):
But everybody in there isjacked up and in need of the
rescue of Jesus Christ.
There's some bad choices inthere, just like what you've
told me you walked through manJesus loves you, scott, and he
wants to redeem and rescue.
Just come on, come sit with meso they come in.
Go through the weekend One ofthe sessions we were doing.
(23:35):
His wife is on the front row.
I'm standing there looking ather, I'm getting ready to teach
and I kind of mouth to herwhere's?
your husband and she just kindof looks back at me and says I
don't know.
And we go through the wholesession.
What we didn't know is Scottwas downstairs in the Peaks of
Otter in this prayer room thatwe had set up.
There was a mirror down therewith an open Bible and some
(23:57):
scriptures.
And Scott later tells me I wentdown there, stared at that
mirror and said this man righthere is in need of your love, of
what I've experienced so far.
And he comes back up and, longstory short, I could drag this
out for a while because it'ssuch a powerful journey.
But Scott stands up in themiddle of a testimony service
(24:18):
where we were ending thismarriage retreat, and basically
says I'm lost and I need God.
And I said right now I need men.
That's what I said.
And it was like soldiers stoodat attention and they all just
kind of rushed to us I've got apicture of this and all of these
men gathered around him andlaid hands on him and began to
(24:39):
pray.
What do we know?
I mean, we're in Lynchburg.
You know what I'm saying.
Nothing of eternal valuehappens outside of prayer, dr
Jerry Falwell.
And here we are.
These men are praying over himand I had a microphone in my
hand.
I clicked it on, held it up tohis mouth and I said, scott, are
you ready to surrender yourlife to Jesus Christ?
He goes, let's do it.
Oh man, praise in themicrophone the most sincere God,
(25:05):
come, rescue me, prayer and getsaved.
A couple of weeks later he'sthere publicly professing his
faith in Jesus Christ.
A couple of weeks after that,standing on a ladder in his
front yard trying to cut downsome limbs, like a one-armed man
should be.
He's just a figured out kind ofguy.
He falls off the ladder, cracksa couple ribs, goes to the
(25:28):
doctor.
I'm on vacation With my family.
I get a text message From hiswife that says hey, this is bad,
this is bad.
He's not healing, they're doingblood work.
We're not sure what's going on.
Through text message Kind ofsent a prayer Back to her.
Some scripture verses Said whenwe get back home I'll come see
you.
And so I go back see her.
He's got cancer throughout hisentire body.
(25:50):
HPV and it's basically from alifestyle of bad choices Drugs,
alcohol, heroin, heavy drugs,sexual promiscuity of every sort
.
Vile, vulgar man who had beenrescued and redeemed, he's not
going to live, he's got days.
(26:12):
So I drive to the hospital.
When I get there it looked likea motorcycle gang was in there
with him.
They're all laughing, yellingnurses in there, and I show up.
He goes hey, preacher, boy'shere, he can give you all the
light, just like he's given me.
Oh, my God, I'm telling you.
They all exit and it's Scottand I sitting there and I said
(26:39):
Scott, I said man, god canrescue you, he already has.
But he can choose to heal you.
And if he does, man, dude, it'sgoing to be amazing.
But if he doesn't, guess what,you're going to be in the
presence of Jesus, because to beabsent from the body for the
believer is to be present withJesus Told him some scriptures,
shared some hope with them and Isaid, man, but when that
happens, your wife has asked meto get up and kind of capstone
(27:02):
your life.
What?
And kind of capstone your life.
What do you want me to sayabout you?
What do you want me to sayabout you?
And he said, man, you tell thepeople who show up that I lived
for me for a really really longtime.
(27:26):
And I'm most saddened by thereality that I'm not going to
live to show how Jesus hastransformed me from the inside
out.
Quoted Truly before I left,here's where I'm going with this
.
I said why did you come to themarriage retreat?
I got to ask you, why did youcome?
He said another man came andasked me.
Another man came and asked meand I thought man, man, how many
people do we know who are justwaiting for us to give them an
(27:49):
invitation to the love that wefound?
Dt niles said you knowevangelism like sharing your
faith in jesus christ.
All it is is one beggar tellinganother beggar where he found
food and and man.
I pray that that encourages allof these scenarios that, as
followers of Jesus Christ, we'rein to go be grace-filled people
(28:14):
, to step into the mess, thedarkness of where they are.
Yet don't compromise the truthof who God is.
He is who he says he is andhe's going to do what he says
he's going to do, and let thepower of the gospel work in
their lives.
Jess (28:33):
This may be.
We always ask our guests this.
This may be, you may have givenus your answer already, but one
thing big or small, it can beas minimal or as maximal.
If you could ask Jesus, rightnow, today, to fix one thing for
you, what would it be?
Big or small, it can be asminimal or as maximal.
If you could ask Jesus, rightnow, today, to fix one, thing,
for you?
What would it be?
(28:54):
What would be your Jesus, fixit for today.
Pastor Jonge (28:57):
Jesus, fix it for today.
So you're asking me personally.
So John G Tate is ADHD off thechart.
I'm talking capital H I'mdyslexic, which means I twist
stuff, which means I'm ahorrible speller, which means
that I don't remember what Iread.
Struggle, struggle, struggleall the way through school.
(29:19):
By God's grace, do I have amaster's degree in biblical
counseling?
But yeah, my answer, jess,would have been oh God, give me
a brain like some of my friends.
God, give me a brain like someof my friends.
But today I would say I have tostand with Paul and say that
(29:40):
I'd rather boast about myweaknesses that the power of
Christ may be seen in me.
But if God fixed this one thingfor so long, it was give me a
brain like somebody else.
But yet he's going.
No, I gave you a differentthumbprint.
Walk in it.
Jess (29:57):
Walk in it.
Pastor Jonge (30:00):
And be the light that I've called you to be.
Yeah, I don't know what I wouldspecifically ask him to change
today, because I'm just kind oflearning to relish that I am who
I am.
John G is unique and I got tobe me in the identity that I am
in Christ, and let him be seenthrough me.
Jess (30:19):
Perfect place to end Yep.
Pastor Jonge (30:23):
Find hope and inspiration with Jess's Daily
Devotion.
Check out jessdailydevocom orsearch Jess's Daily Devotion
wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hey, welcome back, or welcome to the Jesus Fix it
podcast, the show where we talkabout life, the ups, the downs,
a little pop culture andeverything in between.
I'm Jess and I'm Steph.
Steph (00:15):
Every other week we dive into the things we're asking
Jesus to fix.
And let's be real, there's alot.
You can always count on us tokeep it real.
Jess (00:24):
Share some laughs with us and maybe a few tears as we
tackle the big and small stuffwith faith and honesty.
So grab your coffee and let'sget into it.
Hey friends, welcome back toanother episode of the Jesus Fix
it podcast.
We so appreciate you being here.
Steph (00:39):
Along with our guest, Pastor John G Tate, our
conversation continuing fromlast week.
A few years ago, when I gotmarried, I was looking for a
photographer that fit in my tinybudget.
Found a guy who I really lovedhis style and met with him and
I'm like, oh, this guy is greatand my husband and I knew when
(00:59):
we wanted to get married.
It was important for us that wegot married in a church.
It was just one of my littlegirl dreams that you walk down
the aisle yes exactly exactly.
But also, once I met with thisguy and knew he was going to be
our photographer, I was thinkinghe is living an actively open
homosexual lifestyle and here isan opportunity for him to get
(01:21):
to hear the gospel when, as thebride, how am I really going to
have a chance to minister to him?
Come to find out.
Then he, you know, we startedfollowing each other on social
media.
Fast forward a bit and he'slike yes, this scripture and I'm
this believer and I followJesus in this way and all this
stuff and I live with my partnerand all these things, and now I
(01:43):
am struggling Again.
Everybody's got their sin andsins look different.
But how do you love on somebodytrying to share this light when
they're like, oh, I know thatlight, I've got that light?
Pastor Jonge (01:57):
Yeah.
So from the outside, looking in, I would say the world is
trying to customize Christ, andyou don't customize Christ.
He is the almighty and this iswhere the scripture stands for
itself that you have to go.
(02:18):
Okay, you can't cherry pickscripture to fit what you want
it to say so it can appease yoursinful choices.
You can't do that.
You have to stand on theholistic picture of God.
The book is I mean, it's alibrary of books.
There's 66 books in there andthey all proclaim the glory of
(02:38):
God.
The beauty of it is we've gotbefore us a book that is, I mean
, its earliest writings to itslatest writings are there's like
some 1600 years time period,from multiple different
languages, multiple differentcontinents, from people who were
(02:59):
inspired by God to pen thescriptures, from all different
walks of life, differentcontinents, different countries,
and yet there's one God.
There's this one theme of theglory of God.
Through it all, there's thisone hope of the redemption of
man through one hero, that'sJesus Christ.
(03:21):
He is the way to truth and life.
And there's one villain punkSatan.
He's there through the wholething, and the overwhelming
thing is the redemption of man.
So we have all of thisinformation about the scriptures
.
We know without a doubt of itshistorical accuracy because of
(03:45):
archeological standpoints.
We know of the prophecies thathave come true, the foretellings
from the Old Testament, and howJesus fulfilled every single
one.
It's nuts, you can't make thisstuff up.
And so, because of this, weknow the truth of the Word of
God and therefore we stand on it.
We all were on a journey.
You know you get saved.
(04:05):
You know the students atChristian camp I was a student
pastor for 14 years.
Love me, some teenagers and youknow it's like okay, yes, I
want Jesus, but don't take mymusic.
Oh, okay, hold up.
You know well, I just like thebeat.
I'm not really into the lyrics.
Jess (04:23):
I've said that before.
Okay, didn't we all Were you mypastor, that's right.
Pastor Jonge (04:30):
And in that moment , what did I do?
Did I go?
Okay, you heathen, you filthy,dirty, rotten sinner, you know
you're doing it because of no,you know, even on my own journey
, there was a journey of mybecoming more like Christ, and
it took me a while to embracethe message of Philippians 4.8,
that, finally, brothers,whatever's true, whatever's
noble, whatever's excellent orpraiseworthy, admirable, think
(04:54):
about such things.
And even though my parentstalked about garbage in, garbage
out, and all these things yougot to protect your eyes and
make a covenant with your eyesnot to look lustfully
upon a girl Job 31.1, all thesethings.
And you got to protect youreyes and make a covenant with
your eyes not to look lustfullyupon a girl Job 31.1, all these
things.
Sanctification is a process,and I believe that there are
people who are genuine followersof Jesus Christ who are still
(05:15):
jacked up in their sin.
And what sin?
You name it.
You name it, and the truth ofthe gospel is going to work its
way in and begin cleaning.
Now.
I believe with all my heartthat the truth that when we
surrender our lives to JesusChrist, confess with our mouth
that Jesus is Lord, believe inour heart that God raised Jesus
(05:37):
from the dead.
The Bible says we're saved themessage of Romans.
You know through so much of itthat the Holy Spirit gets
deposited into our life.
The Holy Spirit doesn't comeinto your life and you remain
the same.
If so, you need to double-checkyour salvation.
You need to double-check what'shappened to you.
And so when I see somebodywho's still actively pursuing,
(05:59):
let's say, a homosexualrelationship, who says, yes, I'm
saved, I go okay, well, theHoly Spirit is all over you and
I want to be part of thatprocess, with a smile, with a
loving embrace, to come meet youwhere you are, but also to be
bold enough to go.
I'm not ashamed of the gospel,it is the power, and I want to
(06:22):
just be that voice in your lifethat continues to love you where
you are.
But also stand on the truth ofwhat he said, because I was
there as well, pursuing my ownflesh and lusts, and by his
grace, we're victorious throughhim.
Jess (06:42):
And also we need to remember that some of us, uh all
to be thankful, that well, notthankful, but we sin, but some
of our sins we just don't, we'renot able to see it.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Yeah, because yeah, not noteverybody's it doesn't look the
(07:03):
same.
Steph (07:03):
No, it doesn't.
Jess (07:05):
Oh, my goodness, this whole conversation makes me
really, really miss my grandma,because she used to always.
One thing she used to say to usis every single Sunday after
service, she used to tell uskids OK, find one person this
week that looks different thanyou or thinks different than you
(07:28):
and be kind to them.
Every week she used to tell usto do that.
No, I'm going to be honest, wedidn't always listen, but she
used to tell us that and as Iget older, I really grasp that.
(07:50):
The older I get and the way theworld is now and different
people and the diversity now Ireally really grasp that and it
just really really makes me seethe world through her eyes.
Pastor Jonge (07:58):
Yeah, beautiful people like that.
There's a story that's comingto mind of a, uh, of a gentleman
from our community and, uh, hiswife comes to christ through a
small group in our church.
Um, specifically andintentionally, this, this, these
life group leaders for us said,okay, god, here we are, send us
and here's what we do.
(08:19):
They were, they were horse,people loved horses and they're
like okay, how do we use horsesfor the gospel, what do we do?
And they thought well, we've,how do we?
Jess (08:24):
use horses for the gospel.
What do we do?
Pastor Jonge (08:25):
And they thought well, we've got a barn.
We've got a barn that's got anempty stall.
What if we cleaned it out andran an ad for somebody who
perhaps might not have the fundsor the means or the land, but
would love horses?
And sure enough, somebodyresponded to that shows up
non-believer.
And they just start building arelationship with him.
(08:46):
One thing led to another, andthen one time they're there in
the barn and the woman says tothe woman who was renting the
stall with her horse hey, can Ipray for you?
And she goes what she goes.
Yeah, yeah, my husband and Iwe're believers.
Jesus has radically changed ourlives and, man, we're just
honored that you would bringyour horse to our barn and we'd
love to pray for you.
And that's how the conversationstarted.
(09:07):
And then the next thing, youknow it was like hey, can I come
on such and such a night?
She goes well, we have groupthat meets at our house on such
and such a night, so there'sgoing to be a lot of cars in the
driveway.
And she goes, in fact, you'd bewelcome to come.
And she's like what do you dothere?
Well, we all attend thisspecific church in our community
and the pastors.
They preach messages from God'sWord and we get in our living
(09:29):
room and we talk about what theysaid.
The gap between information onSunday mornings and application
to our lives is sometimes wherewe call group.
Step in and get in that groupand tease it out.
How do you do that?
What does this look like inyour life?
And so that's how they began.
She gives her life to Christ,says hey, I want to publicly
profess my faith in Jesus Christ.
She gets baptized in her churchand so we just you know this
(09:52):
ongoing relationship with hercome to find out she's married,
husband's in the community andhe's a really, really vulgar and
vile man.
And she, on so many levels,felt like I'm done, I can't do
this anymore.
Invitations on Sunday morningchurch she'd come down the aisle
and be crying I'm done, I can'tdo this anymore, john G, I
(10:14):
can't do this anymore.
And I'm like all right, are youbeing abused?
Are you physically being beaten?
She's like, no, no, no, it'snothing like that, it's just,
this is just awful.
And I'm like all right, let'spray, let's pray, let's pray.
And so this went on for a while.
The group is loving on her,serving her I'm talking taking
things to her house meals,things like this, meeting family
(10:40):
members, all this kind of stuff.
And so one Sunday she comesforward and it was like the Holy
Spirit said go have aconversation with her husband.
Like and it was like the HolySpirit said go have a
conversation with her husband,like don't be that guy who's
willing to get on stage with amicrophone and turn the lights
on, but not get out there on thestreet and meet people where
they are.
And so she comes forwardtalking and I see her, and so I
just said hey.
I said would it be all right ifI came by your house?
She goes what I said?
(11:03):
Yeah, I said I would love tocome by your house and have a
conversation with your husband.
What are you going to say?
I'm like yeah, I don't know.
Valid question.
I just believe that the HolySpirit is inside of me and you
and I think he's powerful enoughto lead us and guide this
conversation, so let's step intoit.
(11:24):
The Bible says with him, wehave everything we need Now.
Am I think he's powerful enoughto lead us and guide this
conversation, so let's step intoit.
The Bible says, with him, wehave everything we need Now.
Am I scared to death?
Oh Lord, yes, right, but we'regoing, so sure enough.
I show up to the house, I'mwalking up to the doorstep and,
man, I'm hearing language.
They were in the middle of afight.
And I'm like, okay, lord, thisis what I heard in my heart.
This is going to be thestrangest thing you've probably
(11:46):
ever heard.
I heard the word muffler.
Okay.
Now, what I know about thisgentleman is he works at Advance
Auto.
He is Mr Advance Auto in ourcommunity and my son and I had
recently had a conversationabout how my truck needed to be
more manly, it needed to have agrowl to it, and you know I'm a
Bedford boy, so through andthrough it's got a bloody deer
(12:10):
in the back of it most of thetime.
Jess (12:11):
Oh my goodness.
Pastor Jonge (12:14):
So that tells you a lot about who I am.
But my son, he was making funof me, you know.
So this was in the past.
And I step up to this man'sdoorstep and I think about the
word muffler and I'm like, okay,god, what do you want to do
with that?
This was a quick dialoguebetween me and the Holy Spirit,
in a sense.
You know, door opens up andit's her.
She's looking at me with thislook on her face, like see, look
, what you're walking into.
(12:34):
I step into the house, I'm like, hey, I what the?
You know.
He says a couple of words, whatyou doing here, because that's
his language, that's how hetalks, that's the only way he
knows.
And I said man, I came by tosee you, he goes, you came by to
see me.
I said, yeah, my son thinks mytruck sounds wimpy and it needs
(12:54):
to be more manly and I want toknow if you can help me.
Wow.
He goes what I?
I said maybe I need a littlegrowl on my tailpipe, it needs
to growl a little bit.
And he goes.
Oh, you came to the right guythis is what I do and I'm like,
all right now I don't want toget crazy loud, and so we
exchanged phone numbers.
He's now got my cell phone,I've got his.
(13:16):
I leave the house.
I'm leaving his house and he'sblowing me up.
Hey, listen to this, listen meup.
Hey, listen to this, listen tothis, listen to this.
He sends me like three YouTubevideos of muffler sounds
anything from this soft littleto this mighty growl of like a
Kodiak Grizzly or something.
(13:37):
So I choose one, and $209 iswhat I had to pay him to go buy
me a muffler.
And next thing, I know he and Ihave an appointment in his
backyard to put a muffler on mytruck.
Now he's, he has one arm.
The other arm is gone.
He's got a little a little limbwhat I said earlier there's a
(13:58):
story behind the story.
Jess (13:59):
I don't know that story.
Pastor Jonge (14:00):
I don't know if he was born this way or if
something happened.
I know that his language is alot different than mine and he's
not ashamed.
He knows who I am.
He knows I'm his wife's pastorand yet he just continues to
talk the way he talks becausethat's all he knows.
Lost people are the way theyare because they're lost and
(14:22):
they need Jesus.
And so I pull up to his house atthe date it's like nine o'clock
in the morning pull up to theback and he's motioning me to
come on into the garage which islike this structure kind of
thing upon it.
I mean it's like structuresupon structures.
I mean this guy has been doingthis for years and it's kind of
(14:43):
this open bay shelter.
I pull my truck in, I get out,he meets me, I shake hands, I'm
like what's up, dude, excited tobe here, you're going to hook
me up.
And I immediately turn to myleft and on the wall is what I
would call a Playboy centerfoldand I go whoa.
And I look down and down and hegoes what you don't like.
(15:08):
And he named her name and and Isaid, uh well, my flesh would
love to take a look and lingerbecause I'm a real man and then
I held up my left hand and Isaid but there's a golden band
right here.
You know old Randy Travis song.
There's a golden band over herethat represents a covenant that
(15:34):
I have with a woman and shewouldn't understand.
And, more importantly, man,I've been rescued and saved and
so I can't dive into that.
And he just looked at me and hegoes all right, well, how about
you back out and we'll do it inthe yard then?
Wow.
Like oh, you know what Irespect, that Like here, I'm
(15:54):
here, I'm in the middle of yourworld.
I came here and I didn't have tocall out his sin.
I didn't have to point anythingto him, I was just me, and when
I looked at it it just socaught me off guard.
It scared me.
The Bible says we're to abhorthat which is evil, but let love
(16:16):
be genuine, and because of mygenuine love for you, I'm here.
But yet, in the midst of this,bro, bro, I gotta abhor what is
evil and I gotta turn away andand that came from years of
discipline, of of not looking.
So anyway, we back up in thedriveway, we get up under my
vehicle and a one-armed man cuts.
You know, he's got stuff in histeeth, he's got stuff in one
(16:39):
hand, he's got his feet up undermy.
I mean, I was like on what ishappening.
I don't even know that my truckis going to run when I leave
here Like I'm like Jesus.
What are we doing?
You know?
Literally get her done.
And.
I'm telling you, it was astraight up get her done moment
and every now and then, you know, he dropped some words and he'd
go sorry preacher, sorrypreacher didn't mean to talk.
(17:00):
And I'm like like you ain'tgotta say sorry to me.
You know you don't have to saysorry to me, that's all I would
say.
And, um, it was so muchconversation and and things that
happened, but there he and Iwere up underneath my truck.
We had to leave, we had to goget parts from another you know
store and all this kind of stuff.
I mean, it was several hours.
We finish, it's done soundsbeautiful.
(17:22):
I got a little rumble on mySilverado at the time and he
looks at me and he says well, Iguess you'd like to have a
conversation.
And I said what we've beendoing all morning.
He goes I probably believe youwant to have a different kind.
He goes come on into my office.
So I'm like your office,where's your office?
So we walk back through some ofhis buildings and we end up in
(17:46):
this little closet shack andthere's two truck seats sitting
on the floor and there's greaseeverywhere.
There's oil cans, there's gascans, automotive parts all over
the wall.
And we sit down in these seatsand he goes.
All right, what you got, I said,scott, all I have is the gospel
(18:10):
of jesus christ.
Man, I've been changed man.
You.
You got a lot going on in yourworld and I want you to know
that god loves you and he has aplan for your life.
So he just was like oh man, goddon't want me.
You don't understand.
God don't want me.
I said, I said, bet I, goddon't want me.
I said, I said bet.
I said let me tell you somethingI said you ever murdered
anybody?
He goes no.
And in my mind I was rollingthrough David and Bathsheba and
(18:32):
the story of lust and greed andcovetousness and all this stuff
and the murder, everythingthat's involved in the story.
And I'm like and I just kind ofunfold a little bit of it
before him and he's like, wow,what?
And I'm like yeah.
So I said, scott, if I asked youwhat the gospel of Jesus Christ
is, do you know what that is?
He goes not really.
I said, would you mind readingfor me?
(18:52):
Romans 10, 17 says faith comesand it comes by hearing the word
of Christ.
And in this moment, myencouragement from Romans 10, 17
is do everything you can to getout of the way and get the
truth of the gospel to them.
And so I pulled out my phone.
I mean, has it ever been easierfor us today to have all kinds
(19:15):
of apps and scripture rightthere.
I said, man, would you mindreading for me out loud this?
And I literally walked himthrough Romans, you know.
The Romans wrote Romans 3, 23,.
For all have sinned and fallshort of the glory of God.
And I paused.
I said what's that mean?
He goes, everybody got sin.
I said, that's exactly right.
Gave him a fist bump, you know.
And I said, all right, whatabout this one right here?
(19:35):
Romans 6.23, for the wages ofsin is death, but the gift, the
free gift of God, is eternallife in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
And so we walked through that.
Romans 5, 8,.
But while we were still sinners, christ died for us and just
walked him through all of thesescriptures.
(19:55):
Romans 10, 13,.
For everyone who calls on thename of the Lord will be saved.
I said, scott, right now, whatare you, you know?
And he goes man, I'm not ready.
Not ready, he goes.
I know what this says and Iknow what you're saying and I
believe that you believe this.
I'm just not ready.
In this moment, I'm likeeverything within me wants to
reach in and grab him from thechains that are surrounding his
(20:17):
life, and just the anger he toldme about trying to commit
suicide, which is how he losthis arm, and just everything
that had been involved in hislife and I go, okay, well, no
wonder.
If all of that had happened tome, I'd probably be really angry
and mean and running to so manythings to numb the pain, which
(20:38):
is what he had spent his lifedoing.
And yet here comes some bald,smiley guy who's willing to get
in his shop and stand on theword of God and not compromise
the way I live, to come to himand he just said, man, I'm not
ready.
And I said, all right, wouldyou pray?
Would you pray for God toreveal his love to you?
(21:01):
He goes.
I think I could do that.
He looks at me and he goes outloud.
I'm like yeah.
I said yeah, just like you andme.
So he prays, such sincere, youknow, and he literally says in
his prayer God, I'm lost, Idon't know, could you find me?
And then I pray for him throughtears.
(21:22):
You know what I mean.
It was a snot.
It was a snot, tear cry, youknow.
And I leave, I send a textmessage to our team.
I said, hey, guys, thanks forpraying.
You know, blah, blah, blah.
And we just kind of had alittle dialogue.
That continued.
I want to say, about four monthslater we had another situation
where we were actually comes andsays man, I know we need to be
(21:42):
there, he's not coming, there'sno way he's coming.
And so I said, all right, can Icome back to the house?
And she goes oh, dear Jaji, allright.
So I show up once again.
There's a lot of chatter goingon on the other side of the wall
.
She looks at me again and Istep into the living room.
He's putting on a shoe and hewalks over towards me.
(22:03):
I said hey, I said we're goingon a marriage retreat and I just
believe that God wants youthere.
I want you there, my wife and Iwould love to have some meals
with you at this marriageretreat.
The look on his face looked likehe was just kind of angry at me
and he walks across the roomand I'm telling you, as God is
my witness, I thought he wasgonna hit me and he swings that
(22:32):
one arm up right almost to mynose with his hand and
everything with him.
He was like take it, take itfor the team, and uh, and yet he
didn't.
He reached up and he just heldhis hand right at my face and
and it was a moment of pause andI just he said I I'll come.
And he was reaching out hishand for me to shake, like you
and I are making a commitmentnow.
And I shook his hand, gave hima hug and I said all right, I'll
(22:53):
see you Friday.
And they came up to the peaks ofOtter, they came and he sat
kind of marinating and all ofthese couples he shows up.
He's like I don't belong here.
I don't belong here.
They showed up late.
I said, yes, you do.
I said let me tell yousomething.
Inside that room right now arepeople who are struggling with
all kinds of things.
I can't tell you who they arebecause I want to be
confidential.
(23:13):
But everybody in there isjacked up and in need of the
rescue of Jesus Christ.
There's some bad choices inthere, just like what you've
told me you walked through manJesus loves you, scott, and he
wants to redeem and rescue.
Just come on, come sit with meso they come in.
Go through the weekend One ofthe sessions we were doing.
(23:35):
His wife is on the front row.
I'm standing there looking ather, I'm getting ready to teach
and I kind of mouth to herwhere's?
your husband and she just kindof looks back at me and says I
don't know.
And we go through the wholesession.
What we didn't know is Scottwas downstairs in the Peaks of
Otter in this prayer room thatwe had set up.
There was a mirror down therewith an open Bible and some
(23:57):
scriptures.
And Scott later tells me I wentdown there, stared at that
mirror and said this man righthere is in need of your love, of
what I've experienced so far.
And he comes back up and, longstory short, I could drag this
out for a while because it'ssuch a powerful journey.
But Scott stands up in themiddle of a testimony service
(24:18):
where we were ending thismarriage retreat, and basically
says I'm lost and I need God.
And I said right now I need men.
That's what I said.
And it was like soldiers stoodat attention and they all just
kind of rushed to us I've got apicture of this and all of these
men gathered around him andlaid hands on him and began to
(24:39):
pray.
What do we know?
I mean, we're in Lynchburg.
You know what I'm saying.
Nothing of eternal valuehappens outside of prayer, dr
Jerry Falwell.
And here we are.
These men are praying over himand I had a microphone in my
hand.
I clicked it on, held it up tohis mouth and I said, scott, are
you ready to surrender yourlife to Jesus Christ?
He goes, let's do it.
Oh man, praise in themicrophone the most sincere God,
(25:05):
come, rescue me, prayer and getsaved.
A couple of weeks later he'sthere publicly professing his
faith in Jesus Christ.
A couple of weeks after that,standing on a ladder in his
front yard trying to cut downsome limbs, like a one-armed man
should be.
He's just a figured out kind ofguy.
He falls off the ladder, cracksa couple ribs, goes to the
(25:28):
doctor.
I'm on vacation With my family.
I get a text message From hiswife that says hey, this is bad,
this is bad.
He's not healing, they're doingblood work.
We're not sure what's going on.
Through text message Kind ofsent a prayer Back to her.
Some scripture verses Said whenwe get back home I'll come see
you.
And so I go back see her.
He's got cancer throughout hisentire body.
(25:50):
HPV and it's basically from alifestyle of bad choices Drugs,
alcohol, heroin, heavy drugs,sexual promiscuity of every sort
.
Vile, vulgar man who had beenrescued and redeemed, he's not
going to live, he's got days.
(26:12):
So I drive to the hospital.
When I get there it looked likea motorcycle gang was in there
with him.
They're all laughing, yellingnurses in there, and I show up.
He goes hey, preacher, boy'shere, he can give you all the
light, just like he's given me.
Oh, my God, I'm telling you.
They all exit and it's Scottand I sitting there and I said
(26:39):
Scott, I said man, god canrescue you, he already has.
But he can choose to heal you.
And if he does, man, dude, it'sgoing to be amazing.
But if he doesn't, guess what,you're going to be in the
presence of Jesus, because to beabsent from the body for the
believer is to be present withJesus Told him some scriptures,
shared some hope with them and Isaid, man, but when that
happens, your wife has asked meto get up and kind of capstone
(27:02):
your life.
What?
And kind of capstone your life.
What do you want me to sayabout you?
What do you want me to sayabout you?
And he said, man, you tell thepeople who show up that I lived
for me for a really really longtime.
(27:26):
And I'm most saddened by thereality that I'm not going to
live to show how Jesus hastransformed me from the inside
out.
Quoted Truly before I left,here's where I'm going with this
.
I said why did you come to themarriage retreat?
I got to ask you, why did youcome?
He said another man came andasked me.
Another man came and asked meand I thought man, man, how many
people do we know who are justwaiting for us to give them an
(27:49):
invitation to the love that wefound?
Dt niles said you knowevangelism like sharing your
faith in jesus christ.
All it is is one beggar tellinganother beggar where he found
food and and man.
I pray that that encourages allof these scenarios that, as
followers of Jesus Christ, we'rein to go be grace-filled people
(28:14):
, to step into the mess, thedarkness of where they are.
Yet don't compromise the truthof who God is.
He is who he says he is andhe's going to do what he says
he's going to do, and let thepower of the gospel work in
their lives.
Jess (28:33):
This may be.
We always ask our guests this.
This may be, you may have givenus your answer already, but one
thing big or small, it can beas minimal or as maximal.
If you could ask Jesus, rightnow, today, to fix one thing for
you, what would it be?
Big or small, it can be asminimal or as maximal.
If you could ask Jesus, rightnow, today, to fix one, thing,
for you?
What would it be?
(28:54):
What would be your Jesus, fixit for today.
Pastor Jonge (28:57):
Jesus, fix it for today.
So you're asking me personally.
So John G Tate is ADHD off thechart.
I'm talking capital H I'mdyslexic, which means I twist
stuff, which means I'm ahorrible speller, which means
that I don't remember what Iread.
Struggle, struggle, struggleall the way through school.
(29:19):
By God's grace, do I have amaster's degree in biblical
counseling?
But yeah, my answer, jess,would have been oh God, give me
a brain like some of my friends.
God, give me a brain like someof my friends.
But today I would say I have tostand with Paul and say that
(29:40):
I'd rather boast about myweaknesses that the power of
Christ may be seen in me.
But if God fixed this one thingfor so long, it was give me a
brain like somebody else.
But yet he's going.
No, I gave you a differentthumbprint.
Walk in it.
Jess (29:57):
Walk in it.
Pastor Jonge (30:00):
And be the light that I've called you to be.
Yeah, I don't know what I wouldspecifically ask him to change
today, because I'm just kind oflearning to relish that I am who
I am.
John G is unique and I got tobe me in the identity that I am
in Christ, and let him be seenthrough me.
Jess (30:19):
Perfect place to end Yep.
Pastor Jonge (30:23):
Find hope and inspiration with Jess's Daily
Devotion.
Check out jessdailydevocom orsearch Jess's Daily Devotion
wherever you listen to podcasts.
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